Norfleet shoots Cheyney past Sciences

THORNBURY – He has just five college games under his belt, but Brandon Norfleet is already establishing himself as a go-to player for the Cheyney men’s basketball team.

The reigning PSAC Rookie of the Week, Norfleet scored five of his team-high 17 points in the final 100 seconds of a 68-66 thriller over visiting University of the Sciences on Wednesday at Cope Hall. A native of Virginia Beach, Va., Norfleet buried a clutch 3-pointer in the final minute that wound up being the game-winner in a highly competitive, non-conference battle against an opponent that beat reigning PSAC champion East Stroudsburg by 15 points earlier this season.

“We are quite far ahead of where we were at this stage last season,” said CU head coach Dominique Stephens. “This is a much deeper team. And if we keep teaching our system and our principles, we should get good results for the next four years. This is a good freshmen class.”

The Wolves are 1-1, 3-2 heading into its PSAC East opener on Saturday against East Stroudsburg. The Devils fall to 3-7.

The contest marked the first game appearance for Cheyney’s two leading scorers – Jason Sabb and Rashaad Slappy – since the season opener back on Nov. 17th. Both were suspended for the ensuing three games for violating team rules, and they each showed some rust early, but they were on the court making a difference down the stretch as the Wolves scored 10 of the game’s final 15 points.

“We’ve been shorthanded due to disciplinary actions,” Stephens confirmed. “Now, it’s just a matter of guys getting comfortable playing with each other in game situations.”

Burned repeatedly by back-door cuts, Cheyney watched a tie ballgame turn into a 59-53 deficit, prompting Stephens to call a timeout with 6:16 remaining. The ploy obviously worked as the Wolves outscored the Devils 15-7 the rest of the way.

The comeback started with a Slappy bucket in transition, followed by floaters in the lane from freshman Eugene Lett and then another by Norfleet. And that set up the play of the game opportunity for the 6-foot-4 shooting guard, and he delivered the dagger – a long three-pointer with the shot clock running down – with 55 seconds on the clock to open a 67-63 advantage.

“I knew the shot clock was running down,” Norfleet recalled. “I take that shot 100 times in practice, so I felt confidence taking it.

“My teammates tell me every day they want to do my thing and shoot the ball. That was my first big-time shot as a college player. It felt great.”

The Wolves managed just one Sabb free throw the rest of the way but still pulled it out when a game-tying shot by the Devils’ Tyrone Mann-Barnes did not fall and CU’s Deshawn Curtis grabbed the rebound. The final possession came after U Sciences maintained possession after intentionally missing a free throw with 8.5 remaining.

When asked about entrusting a freshman to take big late-game shots, Stephens said that Norfleet can be a very special player down the road, especially if he can develop into a better defensive player and rebounder.

“We started making some of the easy shots down the stretch to get it close and then (Norfleet) hit the big shot,” he said. “We’ve practiced getting in a 1-4 set and letting him take the last shot.

“Defenses are going to focus on Sabb and Slappy, so Brandon is going to get his chances. He is poised, confident and smart enough to make the right adjustment and he was able to get the shot.”

Curtis chipped in with 16 points and seven boards for Cheyney, while Sabb and Slappy added 12 points apiece. And no fewer than four freshmen – Norfleet, Lett, Calvin Brown and Chris Burney – have already worked their way into the playing rotation, and all but Burney got the start on Wednesday.

“I feel like we have more scorers with (Sabb and Slappy) on the court,” Norfleet said. “It definitely eases up the pressure on everyone.”